I would like to thank Dave Weir for recommending this very, very recent story, this very

tragic story that has emerged from Northern California.

And I also must warn you that this episode contains some details involving child abuse and the deaths of multiple young children that may be disturbing for some listeners.

Listener discretion is advised.

On November 25, 2014,

12-year-old Devante Hart was in attendance at a demonstration in the city of Portland, Oregon.

The demonstration was brought about by and intended to bring attention to an incident involving the August 9th 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed African American man by Darren Wilson, a white police officer in the city of Ferguson, Missouri.

The death of Michael Brown sparked three waves of civil unrest, not only in Ferguson, but in cities across the United States.

The first wave caused by the shooting itself lasted from August 9th through August 25th, 2014.

The second wave, caused by the announcement that Darren Wilson would not be indicted on any charges resulting from his shooting and killing of Michael Brown lasted from November 24th through December 2nd, 2014.

And the third wave, caused by the first anniversary of the death of Michael Brown lasted two days from August 9th through 11th, 2015.

Devante was there participating in the second wave of what has become known as the Ferguson unrest.

The Ferguson unrest has been associated with being a scene of chaotic rioting, with protesters

vandalizing, looting, setting arson fires, and firing weapons.

Full disclosure, I was working a lot at the time, and I wasn't watching much of the news because honestly

the police involved shootings of young unarmed African Americans in our

country was too much to bear. Following that with the news coverage of the rioting, I just

couldn't watch it. I felt like the news was super focused on the violence and if they had stories like

Devantes they were just going to be fluff pieces or get lost in the shuffle. But his story actually didn't. Not for me, not for many of us.

His went viral.

Devante wasn't there looting or rioting. He was at the Portland Oregon protest,

holding a sign that said free hugs.

...